The number of retailers (e.g., providers of information, goods, services, etc.) has increased over time, leading to the decrease in physical shelf and display space available per retailer. Thus, retailers have struggled on how to maximize the value of physical retail space. Simply put, retail space is very limited, which restricts the number of products a retailer can place in the space.
With the advent of the Internet, physical space is less of a constraint for many retailers because they can present their product via a web interface. For example, retailers can display many products via one or more images on their web site and allow consumers to purchase the corresponding product. Moreover, consumers are able to obtain information, browse or shop for a physical item, with increased convenience and efficiency. Unfortunately, busy consumers require access to such web sites to enjoy the shopping experience. Busy consumers, especially commuters, don't have time to engage such web sites or don't have devices that are capable of securely interacting with the web sets.
Tesco™ is one company that has been quite successful in capitalizing on the idea of selling multiple items to busy consumers through a single photograph. Tesco posts a picture of purchasable groceries in subway stations (e.g., a picture of a Chiquita™ banana that represents all Chiquita™ bananas available through Tesco), along with a QR code associated with the picture, and allows users to purchase the bananas by scanning the QR code via a smart phone. Unfortunately, Tesco only presents static images, a photograph for example, and does not provide for a dynamic representation of available products or product in inventory.
Other companies, such as Poshmark, Inc. and Macy's, have been able to capitalize on the rise of digital or virtual shopping platforms. Poshmark, Inc., for example, developed an iPhone™ application that allows users to buy and sell fashion items from their iPhone™ via “real time shopping events”. Macy's and other retailers have attempted to enhance in-store shopping experiences by providing kiosks that allow customers to browse the items of the store they are in via an interactive screen (See “Touch-screens create online shopping experiences at stores,” USA Today, by Hadley Malcolm (Feb. 8, 2012)).
U.S. Pat. No. 8,229,800 to Trotman et al. discloses methods for creating a virtual shopping area based on one or more constraints. U.S. Pat. No. 7,657,457 to Razumov, US Patent Publication No. 2008/0208715 to HOD et al., International Publication No. WO 01/37540 to Perkowski, International Publication No. WO 2012/075589 to Abza. and US Patent Publication No. 2009/0149199 to Maghoul, each attempt to utilize digital or virtual space for commercial activity. Unfortunately, these also fail to provide insight into presenting a dynamic, real-time shopping experience for busy consumers.
These and all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
However, each of the available platforms, systems and methods fail to maximize the value of virtual marketplaces for retailers and users. Thus, there is still a need for improved apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing interactive virtual marketplaces.